Spectacular World

A Nightmare That Approaches Closer

It approached...

The ground began to turn a nasty gray color and break away. Plant life shriveled up and died. A horrible shriek filled the air. Inky shadows seeped out, crawling forward, getting faster and faster. No matter how fast he ran, it always seemed to be just behind him.

Buildings tumbled down and broke away as the Virus ate them, and dust rained down from the sky in thick waves. The air was ashy and dark, and each breath was harder to take than the last. Laughter echoed down the streets and twisted, all forming a cruel song.

Kyle felt himself crash into something, and his legs gave out as he tumbled down the ruined street, smashing face-first into the ground. He yelled in pain and tried to scramble back to his feet, but was unable to get up. The ground had cracked and broken, and, in his haste to escape the Virus, he had twisted and snapped his ankle.

It approached... The Dead Virus slowed down to match him as he tried to crawl away. It didn't need to hurry anymore. Kyle screamed and flung his arms out, trying to inch away. It was almost like a spider quietly waiting for its prey to tucker out.

It was only for a single second, but Kyle risked a look back behind him. He saw it as clear as day within the darkness. Golden lights seeped within the Dead Virus. A tendril stretched out, and Kyle was unable to stop it. His pants leg hissed out and broke away into dust, and the tendril wrapped around his broken ankle. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Like jagged needles, it tore its way into his flesh, rotting it from the inside out and killing every cell one by one.

Hope's father put up with this every day. The cells popped and died, crumbling to dust and gradually spreading throughout his body. Mr. Lauren had only been given the smallest of doses. This was a fate Kyle would not receive.

He wasn't even able to scream as he was lifted off his feet, and the tendrils stabbed their way into his flesh. His eyes exploded, and his jaw was nearly torn off as they squirmed their way into him. All the while, he was literally turning into dust. It might have been a quick death for others. It was only a few seconds before his body had broken down, but for him, it was slow, starting at the bottom, and time itself seemed to come to a crawl.

The approach of death couldn't have been slower.

He screamed and shook as it all came to an end. His blanket was thrown off of him, and he got himself into a tangled mess on his bed. The door to his room exploded open, and he heard shouting but couldn't make it out. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he slowly stopped shaking as his heart settled down.

"It was just a nightmare! You're okay, Kyle. I'm here for you."

"D- Dad?" Kyle let out a shaking gasp as the world finally fit itself back into place. He was alive. The Dead Virus hadn't gotten him. That had just been a nightmare. One that he seemed to always find his way back to every night he closed his eyes. "Did I wake you?"

He didn't always get to be close to his dad. Even now, he never really got to see too much of the man. His dad was always working. "No." Mr. Brenner shook his head. He was already dressed in his uniform. "I was actually called away. The mayor needs me for extra security. He's heading to some concert. Would you like to come? I hear it's one that's popular with the kids."

"No, thanks..." Kyle rested his head on his arms as he curled into a ball. "I don't feel that good." Hope had asked him to go to the same concert earlier that day, but he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed today.

He heard his father grumble something. "You're sixteen now, soon to be seventeen. This should be the time of your life. Look at your room."

"What's wrong with my room?" It was fairly bland. They lived in a big house. Some would even call it a manor. It was the kind of place his father would hire people to come and clean and tidy up. His room was large, but he didn't have anything in it other than his bed and a desk for schoolwork. Besides his closet, which held his clothing, you'd think it was a guest bedroom. "It's not messy or anything."